


Broken Branches

by Surefall



Series: The Write and Post Adventures [2]
Category: Cable and Deadpool, Deadpool (Comics), Deadpool - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Ensemble Cast, F/M, M/M, rated for language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-17 07:09:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10588980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Surefall/pseuds/Surefall
Summary: Broken Branchesare AUs ofSummer Camp (Is Where it Began)(AU of a AU is AU^2?).Rejected scenes, alternate endings, and straight up alternate everything.Chapter 2:  The one where Wade's been teetering on the edge of the abyss, but his friends pull him back just by being their busybody interfering selves.Or ... the one where the ladies of the Sinister Six are super spies, Tony Masters is the most tsundere of them all, and Nate is Wade's moody stalker.





	1. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deleted scene from _Team Decisions_. In which Peter doesn't have permission to take pictures and the Sinister Six show why they're sinister.

Wade had grabbed Peter's camera and was staring at it intently, turning it over in his hands, giving the strap a little yank. He had gone silent, always a bad sign, and Inez and Neena had flanked him, arms folded as they stared down at Peter with cold, gleaming eyes.

Inez leaned in toward Wade, bumping shoulders with him as her hip thrust out, "Hey, Parker ... you know what we do to bad little boys like you?"

Neena tossed her dark hair, "We break them." She lazily brought her hands together and cracked her knuckles, smile sharp and cruel.

Peter gulped, leaning away from them, eyes wide, "Really! It wasn't like that! I promise!" He looked at the girls surrounding him beseechingly, but those closest had folded their arms over their chests or put their hands on their hips, their faces disgusted and glaring. 

"It wasn't?" Wade hit the delete all button on the camera, looking up to pin Peter with cold blue eyes, "Then you won't mind if I just delete all these pictures, then, huh?" 

Peter winced, "N-no ... of course not."

"Great!" Wade spread his hands, letting the camera fall out of them without bothering to catch it. As it fell, Peter made a strangled noise of despair. It tumbled through the air, dropping like a rock, but before it touched the ground, it bounced back on it's strap, which was still wrapped around Wade's wrist. Wade swung his arm and the camera inscribed a pendulum arc in the air, before he caught the strap and spun, making the camera whirl precariously through the air. 

"Stop! Wade!" Peter lunged for the camera.

It was the girls who stopped him, their palms hitting him on each shoulder, shoving him back with the combined blow. Inez tutted, "Ah, ah!" 

Wade just stepped back out of reach, smiling a cold, humorless smile as the camera made a swishing sound as it whirled through the air, "You or the camera, Petey ... pick the one you want to get broken." 

Neena flicked Peter on the cheek with her pearl colored nails, making him flinch, "Pick yourself, _Petey_."

"Pick the camera," Inez grinned, "I want to hear it go crunch."

Wade whirled the camera through a figure eight in the air and Peter made a horrible, keening noise in his throat as he watched the camera with helpless eyes.

Elektra Natchios put a hand on Wade's arm and when he glanced at her, she spoke, "That's enough, Wade." Her cool brown eyes flicked across Wade's female backup, "Inez. Neena." Inez tossed her hair, but she and Neena took a step back and circled around to the back of Peter like a pair of pretty sharks.

"Is it?" Wade flashed Elektra a cat's cruel grin, all teeth and malice, "If he doesn't have a camera, he can't take any more pictures."

"I think Parker's learned his lesson," she said calmly, cool and unafraid as her eyes cut to Peter, "Haven't you, Peter?"

Peter nodded emphatically, "No more pictures of cheerleader practice. No more! None! I've totally learned my lesson!"

"And if he doesn't learn it ... you can _break_ him," Elektra said, sweet and dark as she trailed her finger tip down Wade's arm.

Peter swallowed as Inez, Neena, and Wade smiled in terrible unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rejected this scene because I decided the cheer team wouldn't just stand around and do nothing about the Sinister Six being assholes.


	2. Dropping Eaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Wade's been teetering on the edge of the abyss, but his friends pull him back just by being their busybody interfering selves. 
> 
> Or ... the one where the ladies of the Sinister Six are super spies, Tony Master is the most tsundere of them all, and Nate is Wade's moody stalker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nate doesn't go to summer camp, but he still ~~travels from the future~~ moves from California and ends up going to Marvel High anyway.
> 
> I also just wanted to write something dumb and trope-y where I could explore Tony and Wade and their "relationship? what relationship?" friendship. (Spoiler: I didn't succeed.)

"What did you do?" Tony Masters hissed, straightening to his full height as he took an aggressive step into Nathan Summers' space, fists clenching at his sides. Just because Summers was taller than him didn't mean that Tony wouldn't put the other boy on his ass. 

"I didn't do anything," Summers stepped back, half turning to look into the narrow space between the back of the gym and the supply shed, frowning again, "He was like that when I got here." 

Tony examined him sharply for deception. Tony had already discarded Neena and Inez's defiant head tossing since Summers didn't have long hair to toss. There was no daring smirk, like Lester had, challenging someone to call his bluff. No lifted chins or increasingly fanciful tales like Wade and none of Sandi's bitten lip. Not even Weasel and Bob's nervous jittering as they fiddling with things and avoided his eyes. 

Summers just kept frowning, hand resting on the wall, brow furrowed, as he looked into the shaded space at the huddled shape of Tony's lieutenant. "I was trying to decide if I should try to talk to him or not." Tony finally decided that it wasn't a lie. Summers was actually concerned. He wasn't the one that had sent Wade in there.

Tony blew out a breath and shoved Summers in the shoulder, "Get lost, Summers. I'll handle it." He didn't bother to see if Summers took the dismissal for what it was -- if he was as smart as he seemed, he would shove off -- as he bent to duck under the shed's overhang and into the narrow alley.

Wade was sitting against the gym wall, knees drawn up to his chest, arms looped over his knees, head buried in his arms. He was only recognizable as Wade because of the omnipresent red hoody that swallowed him. Tony's lieutenant had been wearing that for far too long, the whole three weeks since school had started, coiled up and hiding in it like a moth in a cocoon. He'd been quiet, too, much too quiet. The more Tony thought about, turning the anomaly over in his mind and examining it, the more he attached significance to it. Wade hadn't been around much since he'd been sent to summer camp. He hadn't been hanging around Tony's house like a stray cat, eating his food, complaining when Tony made him sleep on the floor instead of the bed, and yowling when he was beaten in Mario Kart. Tony had merely assumed that Bob or Weasel or the girls had been subjected to him. It would seem he had assumed wrong. 

Tony ambled closer to the slumped red shape and dropped down next to him in a lazy slouch, elbowing Wade lightly in the side, "Hey."

Wade flinched away, hunching more tightly on himself. Tony didn't tolerate this shit from his second. He reached out and tugged the hood down and Wade lifted his head enough to glare at him as he grabbed for the hood. The glare was a pale imitation of real anger, as hollowed out as his eyes. Wade self consciously scrubbed at his wet cheeks with the back of his hand as he jerked the hood back down, turning away.

There was no split lip and not even the fading remnant of black eyes ... but Wade had been hit where it didn't show before and Tony wasn't going to strip him to check. The hollowness, the void of expression, was what bothered Tony more than the tears.

"Did Summers fuck with you?" Summers was new. He might be dumb enough to think that any of Tony's crew was easy prey. He'd soon learn better. Tony was not tolerating some west coast asshole fucking around with any of them, not even with Bob. 

"It doesn't have anything to do with -- " Wade's voice cracked, wavering, before he slapped at Tony with terrible aim, "I'm _not_ crying!"

Tony could always depend upon Wade to verbally undermine himself. He slid his arm around Wade's neck and pulled, getting him in a headlock. Tony shoved his hand under Wade's hood and wiped the palm across Wade's cheek, catching dampness. He held it up, "You're fucking crying. And I didn't ask if you were crying, I asked if Summers -- "

"He didn't!" Wade snapped, shoving at Tony's wet hand away from himself as he pushed up against the headlock. It was the most clumsy attempt at escape that Tony had ever seen from someone not named Bob, so Tony didn't take it seriously. Instead of letting Wade go, he slid his arm down until it was around Wade's waist and then he yanked him into his lap.

Wade yelped in surprise, automatically pushing at Tony's chest, but Tony just put his free hand to the back of Wade's head and smushed it against his shoulder. Wade's hands skidded, whether in surprise or to gain leverage, but one way or another they ended up clutching Tony's sides as Wade shuddered, making a low keening sound as Tony adjusted his arms into a more traditional hug and tightened his grip.

"Then why are crying?" Tony breathed out an exasperated sigh which blew the strands of Wade's blonde hair away from his mouth.

"I don't know!" it was half a broken wail and half a sob, blessedly muffled by the fact that his face was crushed against Tony's chest. Tony didn't really want anyone to come poking their nose in here and see them. Summers was already one audience too many.

Wade was a liar, but calling him on it just made his lies get even more ridiculous. Tony slid a hand up into his lieutenant's hair and cupped the back of his head. "You're such a girl."

"I'm not a girl!" Wade growled, slamming a fist into Tony's hip, punctuating each word with a blow. Tony winced where Wade couldn't see it, shifting in discomfort. "I. Am. Not .... " Wade sucked in a breath and futilely tried to wriggle his way out of Tony's arms but Tony just rubbed the back of his neck until Wade sagged in his grip. "I'm NOT!"

Tony grunted, long familiar with the feeling of his own helpless anger. He let his head fall forward so he could speak quietly into Wade's ear, like it was secret, but a secret that was fact, "Your dad's a fucking dick. He doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about."

The way Wade burst into fresh tears was almost expected. Tony hugged him tightly and waited for the storm to pass.

* * *

When Tony didn't come back, Sandi went looking for him.

The glowering Nathan Summers was out of place. There he was, all tall and sculpted, leaning against the supply shed with folded arms, glaring at the universe. Summers being moody wasn't the part that was out of place ... because it was agreed that moody was Nathan's second adjective after handsome (and it made Sandi wish she had the courage to walk over and ruffle his adorable sun bleached hair just to see his face change). But him just standing around? Not doing anything? Even after their weeks of covert observation, Neena and Inez and Sandi had observed that Nathan Summers didn't just _do nothing_. He was always reading something or writing something or talking earnestly to someone in class. Unlike some of their friends, they wouldn't catch Summers lazing about.

Still, despite her lack of courage in regards to hair ruffling, Sandi ran with the meanest crowd in school and she didn't let some glaring cutie pie stop her from accomplishing her goals. Sandi strode right up to Nathan, put her hands on her hips, and demanded, "Have you seen Tony?"

If it was possible, Summers' glare increased and he jerked his head toward the narrow corridor between the buildings. "He's in there," he muttered. 

"Did you do something to him?"

"No," Summers ground out, slouching lower on the wall. Was he sulking? He was sulking!

Sandi stared at him incredulously for a long moment before she flipped her hair over her shoulder with a practiced motion and ducked into the narrow corridor. 

After giving her eyes a moment to adjust, she took in the incongruous sight of Wade curled in Tony's arms and Tony giving her that deer in headlights look he got when she caught him petting her cat (after he had complained for days that it was a hellish monster sent from the outer gates of the void).

Sandi didn't understand Tony and Wade's friendship. This wasn't a revelation. All the boys of Sandi's inner circle were utter nutters. From meek Bob Hardin, who was pathologically incapable of saying no, and all the way to Lester Banes, who would be voted most likely to be a serial killer if it was put to a school vote. Half the time she wasn't even sure if Lester was their friend or just hanging around them to needle Tony and Wade. Compared to the incomprehensibility of Wade and Lester being friends, which was composed mostly of them punching each other in the face ... Tony and Wade's friendship was almost civil. If Wade constantly pestering Tony and Tony either insulting him or ignoring him was considered civil.

Sandi stared and Tony looked guilty and then Wade snuffled, rubbing his wet nose on Tony's shirt, making Tony look down in utter disgust and whatever half-formed notion was being built in Sandi's brain promptly fled. She strode over and sat down, straddling Tony's legs as she pinned Wade in place between them. She rested her cheek on top of Wade's messy blonde hair and hugged him, sighing, "Oh, Wade ... what happened?"

"Nothing!" he protested, but since his face was still jammed into Tony's chest like Tony could protect him from the cruel, hard world, it was difficult to take him seriously.

"You wouldn't be crying all over Tony's shirt if it was nothing," she pointed out reasonably, "Something's wrong."

"S'not," Wade muttered and Sandi rubbed her cheek on Wade's hair, smiling as Tony groaned, knowing what was coming.

"S'tew," Sandi grinned.

"That's a stupid book," Tony muttered and Sandi knew he was just being Tony, too cool to like a book about kittens.

"C'mon, Wadey baby, tell me and Tony all your woes," she crooned obnoxiously into his ear.

Wade growled at the hated nickname and arched his back like he was considering throwing her off, "M'not one of your _girl_ friends, you -- "

"Wade is definitely a boy," Tony said with cold firmness, interrupting whatever vitriol might have fallen from Wade's lips. Sandi opened her mouth and then shut it as Tony shook his head. 

"And I don't _like_ boys either," Wade snapped.

Sandi and Tony exchanged a look. Sandi pulled back and spoke in a completely agreeable voice, "Of course you don't like boys ... you like _me_... and Inez ... and Neena ... there's not a single boy anywhere in that."

Wade twisted, suspiciously looking over his shoulder at her.

Sandi grinned, hooking her chin over Wade's shoulder, "I've been thinking about breaking up with Tony." 

"Excuse me?!" Tony said in disbelief.

Sandi widened her eyes innocently, and jerked her head back toward the opening she had come through, "Nathan is waaaaay hotter." Wade made a choking sound. "I think I should at least _try_ to get his attention ... because Tony's cute and all, but Nathan has those blue eyes and that golden tan and those shoulders," Sandi sighed dreamily as she fluttered her lashes playfully at Tony who rolled his eyes and smirked, "And the way he stares at you like he's trying to take you apart with his eyes ... I bet he's an _amazing_ kisser. Just intense, you know? He could make you feel like you're the only girl in all the world and he just _needs_ you ... " Wade wriggled like a fish on a hook, like he was trying to squirm away from the words she was sighing right into his ears "... and the way his bangs keep falling into his eyes just makes me want to push them out of the way ... "

Wade jerked up straight, dragging Sandi with him, "Don't you dare!"

"I _knew_ you _liked_ him," Sandi giggled. Then she yelped as Wade rolled to shake her off and Tony grunted at both of them as they toppled off of him. The moment they were off his lap, Tony pushed Wade off of Sandi, scuffling with him in the narrow corridor as Wade refused to be pushed around quietly. It didn't take long for Tony to emerge victorious, pinning Wade to the ground with his forearm, bearing down with his entire weight pressed against Wade's shoulders until Wade slapped his hand against the ground to tap out. Tony rolled off him and Wade relaxed with a gasp. 

Sandi, who had regained her seat and straightened her skirt while the boys reestablished who was on top in their relationship. With Tony's victory, she reached out to ruffle Wade's hair. "He's too pretty not to like ... and sort of sweet when he's not being all mopey." 

"He's not mopey," Wade muttered and Sandi smiled at the way Tony was rolling his eyes. 

"Wade~ Nathan's the mopeyest person in the whole school."

"He's just ... yanno ... smart," Wade grumbled, beginning to look annoyed with them, which was a hundred times better than when he looked sad. The Bob method of cheering Wade up -- annoying him until he responded -- was obviously the best way to go, so Sandi didn't bother hiding her titter at Wade's completely weak defense of one Nathan Summers. "What?! He is! He's reading all the time and answers all those questions in class!"

"So he's mopey _and_ a nerdy teacher's pet," Tony snorted, voice so perfectly disdainful that Sandi knew Wade wouldn't be able to take the derision lying down. 

Which Wade didn't since he sat up abruptly, "Oh my god! He is not!" 

"He is," Tony leaned back against the wall, coolly dismissive of Wade's less than witty comeback. He folded his arms and contemplated the tip of his shoe, "It's still okay to like him." 

This was why Sandi loved this boy. It wasn't just that soft center Tony kept trying to pretend he didn't have. The one that made him dote on Sandi's cat and hug Wade when he was sad and punch people who were mean to Bob in the face. It was the way Tony delivered that single sentence, like it was just _fact_. Like it didn't _matter_ what Nathan was, Wade could still like him ... however he liked him ... as much as he liked him ... and that it was still all the same to Tony because Wade would still be Wade to Tony, no matter what.

Wade froze, staring at Tony with such wide, hopeful eyes that Sandi's heart hurt for him. Like Tony's opinion was the only one that really mattered in the world and if only Tony gave his permission, then Wade could do _anything_...

Tony sniffed and kicked Wade lightly in the leg, "You're such an idiot."

Just like that, the moment broke. Wade flopped dramatically over Tony's lap, grinning widely, "I knew you loved me, Tasky!" he said happily ... but his eyes never left Tony's face.

"I don't love you at all," Tony grumped, shoving at him, "Get off me!"

"Why are you so cruel to me? Do you not know the depths of my devotion? Shall I write a sonnet to your greatness? Oh, Tasky wasky, why so gassy? Did thy -- "

"Shut up!" 

Sandi rolled her eyes. _Boys._

* * *

Nathan Summers now needed all of English class to recover from his French class. 

Nathan had lost all ability to concentrate in French. Mr. Cluster liked to keep Wade in the front row where he could see him, which meant he sat _right in front_ of Nathan. That used to be fine. During the quiet parts of class, Nathan could stare all he wanted at Wade's red-clad back, quietly willing him to turn around and ask to borrow something, so Nathan could have an excuse to talk to him. This method had failed, probably because Nathan hadn't spontaneously developed telepathy.

Wade was ... _intriguing_... like a red wrapped puzzle, quiet and distant and kinda mysterious. Aloof and outside the whirl of their classmates, like Nathan was currently still outside. Wade kept teasing Nathan with little glimpses of sad blue eyes and a pleasingly strong jawline ... and Nathan had wanted to be his _friend_ , to draw him back into the whirl even if the whirl was just the two of them, and -- well, whatever Nathan had been imagining was irrelevant because Tony Masters had both _ruined everything_ and made everything _wonderful_. 

Wade didn't need Nathan to be his friend, he already _had_ friends. There was a whole passel of overly affectionate friends who had grabbed every minute of his free time the moment the hoody had come off three days ago. That had been a surprise, but not as much of a surprise as the unshelled Wade. That fucking hoody was a magical girl transformation sequence masquerading as red fleecy cloth.

Magical Girl Wade didn't stop _talking_. Not in any class Nathan had with him, but especially not in French, where he nattered away with fluid skill that Nathan could only admire and envy ... but no matter how _nice_ that voice was, Nathan hadn't been able to pay much attention because Magical Girl Wade also didn't _sit still_. All of that shifting around in his seat had turned Nathan's entire class into one long stretch of flexing shoulders, blonde hair brushing against the column of a perfectly tanned neck, low breathy, impatient sighs, and Wade tipping so far back in his chair that he could grin at Nathan upside down, like he was sharing a joke just with Nathan -- which should not under any circumstances make Nathan's breath catch in his throat, but it did every time. If this went on any longer, Nathan was going to _lose his mind_.

He had already lost his mind, because he was actually going to _do this_.

Standing in the hallway outside of English class, Nathan steeled his resolve and took a deep breath before he strode purposefully down the hallway. He turned the corner to Wade's locker, which he had carefully located by having followed him once between classes. Just, yanno, to see where it was compared to his locker, which was on the second floor. Even without the hoody, Nathan could now pick Wade's back out of a whole crowd of other students.

"Hey."

Wade, who had been leaning away from his locker to shove a book in his backpack, jumped a mile, "Holy shit! Make a noise or something!"

"I'll keep it in mind," Nathan said mildly, shrugging his backpack a little higher over one shoulder as he leaned against the locker beside Wade, far too close for a casual conversation. He wasn't sorry to see the voluminous red hoody go. Without it, Nathan could see the blue shirt, so old and thin and worn it was clinging to Wade's tanned skin, and the low slung jeans that kept drawing his eyes to the line of Wade's hips. 

"You want something?" Wade's voice jolted Nathan back to reality and his eyes back up to Wade's face.

"Yeah, uh ... " Nathan stumbled, not nearly as smooth as he had originally imagined or intended, "I was wondering if ... I mean, if you want to ... um ... "

"Going to spit that out any time today?" Wade grinned, braced a hand against the locker's edge, outlining the muscles in his arm and stretching his shirt tight over his bicep. That wasn't helping Nathan concentrate at all. He took a breath to clear his head and tried again.

"I haven't been to the mall yet." That's right, stick with the script. Nathan had practiced this in the mirror this morning at least three times. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind showing me the way. To the mall. If you have time ... and you want to, that is."

"That's ... um ..." Wade immediately straightened and turned back to his locker, busying himself with the contents even though he watched Nathan out of the corner of his eye. Nathan fiddled with the strap of his backpack, almost breathlessly awaiting the answer, his entire focus on the curl of color creeping into Wade's cheeks. "Why me?" Wade blurted abruptly, "you could ask anyone!"

Nathan took heart that it wasn't a no. "I don't want to go to the mall with anyone ... I want to go with you."

"Well, what makes you think I _want_ to go with you?" Wade asked, still giving Nathan that intense sideways observation, a tense edge creeping into his voice. The same tension that Nathan had heard in the alley and didn't much like. 

Nathan shrugged and decided he might as well admit to it, "I was by the supply shed when you were talking with Tony and Sandi."

"Oh my god!" Wade's cheeks flamed bright red as he whirled and slapped his hand down on Nathan's chest, fingers spread as his arm tensed to shove him away, "What the hell, Eavesdropper McNosypants!?"

Nathan snorted, a failed effort to hide his laugh at the name. Despite his fierce glare, the flush was creeping down Wade's neck, dragging Nathan's eyes with it. It was absurd, but he found himself obscurely more confident the more flustered Wade became. He leaned forward against Wade's hand and smiled, "My name's _Nathan_."

Wade's hand slipped, sliding down Nathan's chest before falling away, his eyes widening as Nathan stepped forward, crowding him into his locker, "I know what your name is, _Nate_."

He already had a nickname! Nathan rolled that warm feeling around, ridiculously thrilled. He put his hand on the locker's edge above Wade's head, "Yeah?" 

"I have half your classes," Wade's gaze dropped to Nathan's lips and then jerked abruptly upward again.

"Four of them," Nathan agreed. 

"STOP KISSING SUMMERS AND GET A ROOM ALREADY" Lester Banes yowled like a cat from down the hallway.

Wade jerked as he had been struck, going ramrod straight. His head whipped around to give Lester the kind of death glare that could sear the flesh from bone. Nathan froze in place. Banes could jump off a damn bridge. He wasn't letting that asshole screw up this up. Feeling brave from having already come this far without rejection, Nathan didn't pull away. Instead he leaned in those last few inches, pressed his lips to Wade's ear, and murmured, "You and me. After school by the statue."

Wade's head turned and their noses bumped, his eyes wide with surprise, "What?" Nathan had all of Wade's attention again, which was just as he liked it.

The bell rang.

Nathan could have groaned in disappointment. He reluctantly pulled back, "It's a date, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Wade managed, still wide eyed, and Nathan smiled brilliantly at the agreement. 

"See you later, Wade," Nathan turned, still grinning over his shoulder at Wade as Wade gave him a little wave. Not paying attention to where he was going, he crashed into Gwen and knocked her books all over the floor.

* * *

Wade stared after Nate, completely overwhelmed with elation and fear and wonder and then a completely disproportionate urge to giggle like a loon as fucking beautiful and graceful Nathan Summers collided with equally beautiful Gwen Stacy. 

Lester laughed like a hyena, breaking the perfect, gleaming glow that seemed to irradiate the world whenever Nate was around. 

All the tension in Wade released with a pop like a coiled spring as he lunged across the space at Lester, who yelped and dodged away. "Kidding! I was kidding!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also totally wanted to use Eavesdropper McNoseypants legitimately in a fic.
> 
> The book that Wade, Sandi, and Tony are talking about is _Snot Stew_ by Bill Wallace.


End file.
